[FrustratedMonky]

I wonder if the view shifts measurably by region/state in the US.

There is definitely a right leaning/religious view that animals are not conscious. And this was the dominant opinion in the US for many decades. When I think back on when I encountered these opinions the most, it was mostly in Midwest and South. When I was living on east coast, there was more opinion's like you are expressing.

Even a few years ago when UK passed laws about squid and lobster. It was right wing pundits that were just howling at how stupid it was since these animals are not conscious.

Guess what we call the 'public', versus what we are exposed to locally, is the real disagreement here.

(I'd say the Turkey thing was a joke, not any indication of sentiment. Probably more a joke about crime, not animals.).

[staticman2]

People are full of contradictions but the internet tells me 44.5% of U.S. households own dogs. Did those right leaning religious people own dogs, and would they have said, "Sure my pet is not conscious?" if asked?

Or was it only the delicious animals they love cooking that aren't conscious?